Ensuring Access to Quality Health Care for Seniors
Blues Perspectives
| 2 min read
Thriving communities are healthy and vibrant. That’s why Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is always working to increase access to high-value health care. This approach is a pillar of our company’s mission and values.
We touch lives in every age group and every corner of Michigan through our products, services and community investments. This effort goes beyond the quality health insurance we are best known for and includes hundreds of programs and corporate contributions, statewide partnerships, volunteerism and addressing the social and environmental factors that impact health.
Ensuring our senior members have access to high-quality health care and services is a critical priority. Maintaining a high-quality network of providers and elevated customer service ensures our senior members’ needs are met – and we continue to find new ways to meet the needs of seniors.
To accomplish this goal, Blue Cross is working collaboratively with two provider organizations to bring more choices for care for seniors. We recently partnered with Dedicated Senior Medical Centers, a subsidiary of ChenMed, and Oak Street Health to enable nearly 20 primary care centers in underserved areas throughout Metro Detroit and Michigan. Dedicated and Oak Street Health provide medical care services to Blue Cross members with Medicare Advantage plans.
These centers foster high-touch, interdisciplinary doctor-patient relationships and enablehealthier patients.The centersalso provide health care for moderate- to low-income seniors who have complex chronic conditions.
Oak Street Health and Dedicated fill a need for more primary care options in parts of Metro Detroit, Flint and regions across the state that have been underserved. These centers provide health care closer to home for seniors in the neighborhoods where they live – removing transportation barriers and building stronger connections with doctors. This personal attention is especially important for seniors with multiple chronic health conditions who are managing multiple medications and complex treatment plans.
Through partnerships with primary care providers like Dedicated and Oak Street Health — which specialize in care for Medicare beneficiaries and seniors with a preventative care focus — we are helping to bring personalized and high-quality services to at-risk seniors where they live.
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